Clan Rising
Kyffhausen Castle today

Germany · Ruin

Kyffhausen Castle

Reichsburg Kyffhausen

The Imperial Castle of Kyffhausen is a medieval hilltop castle ruin on a long spur of the Kyffhäuser hills in Thuringia, Germany. Founded around 1000 and expanded under the Hohenstaufen emperors, the castle once occupied the ridge with a prominent keep and extensive curtain walls and is today visited alongside the later Kyffhäuser Monument.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1180

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1180

What Kyffhausen Castle looked like in its prime.

Long, elongated castle complex running along an eastern spur, built of bright red sandstone; dominated by a single massive rectangular bergfried (keep) rising from the highest point of the ridge. Continuous curtain walls follow the narrow crest, enclosing terraces, stepped stone paths and platforms; several lower service buildings sit against the inner side of the wall with pitched roofs. The overall silhouette is a stout keep and stretched curtain-wall enclosure set on a wooded hilltop above the plain.

Its story

The story of Kyffhausen Castle.

The Imperial Castle of Kyffhausen was probably founded about 1000 in the Kyffhäuser hills of Thuringia, superseding the nearby imperial palace of Tilleda under the Hohenstaufen emperors during the 12th and 13th centuries. Its first mention came in 1118, when it was demolished by the Saxon duke Lothair of Supplinburg, whose forces had defeated Emperor Henry V at the Battle of Welfesholz in 1115.

After the fall of the House of Hohenstaufen the fortress lost its strategic importance. Rudolf of Habsburg, elected King of the Romans in 1273, ceded it to the Counts of Beichlingen, who from 1375 held it as vassals of the Wettin landgraves of Thuringia. Given in pawn to the House of Schwarzburg shortly afterwards and seized by the Counts of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1407, it was already recorded as a ruin in the 15th century.

From the era of Weimar Classicism the picturesque ruins drew writers, Goethe wandered the Kyffhäuser range with Duke Karl August of Saxe-Weimar in 1776, and the pull only strengthened in the Romantic age. Together with the Kyffhäuser Monument, erected on the castle grounds between 1890 and 1896, the ruin is today a popular destination.

Step inside

6 places to explore in 1180.

The record describes 6 distinct spots at Kyffhausen Castle, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach along the northeastern spurBase of the bergfried (keep)Inner courtyard / wardCurtain wall and wall-walk along the rimGatehouse and service buildingsTerraced platforms and rock foundations

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Whose castle

Clans who held Kyffhausen Castle.

The families that held Kyffhausen Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Beichlingen

    Ceded by Rudolf of Habsburg to the Counts of Beichlingen in 1273; from 1375 they held the castle as vassals of the Wettin landgraves of Thuringia.

  • Schwarzburg

    Given in pawn to the House of Schwarzburg and seized by the Counts of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt in 1407.

Questions about Kyffhausen Castle

What is the history of Kyffhausen Castle?

Kyffhausen Castle was probably founded about 1000 to help administer and secure imperial lands south of the Harz mountains and protect the nearby imperial palace of Tilleda. It was demolished in 1118 by Saxon forces after the Battle of Welfesholz, then rapidly rebuilt under the Hohenstaufen emperors. It lost strategic importance after the Hohenstaufen dynasty and was already a ruin by the 15th century.

What is inside Kyffhausen Castle?

Inside Kyffhausen Castle, visitors can see the upper, middle and lower castle areas, including the inner courtyard spaces, the remains of a three-part palas, a kitchen building and the Erfurt Gate. The upper castle also retains the Barbarossa Tower, which had two residential floors with fireplaces and garderobe projections. A 176-metre-deep medieval well survives there as well.

Why was Kyffhausen Castle built, and what was it used for?

Kyffhausen Castle was built as an imperial stronghold to administer and secure imperial estates in the southern Harz foothills and the Golden Meadow, and to protect the nearby Tilleda imperial palace. Under the Hohenstaufen emperors it also expressed imperial power in the region. Its strategic importance declined after the Hohenstaufen dynasty fell.

Where is Kyffhausen Castle?

Kyffhausen Castle is in the Kyffhäuser hills of Thuringia, near Bad Frankenhausen. The ruins stand on the Kyffhäuserburgberg, an eastern spur in the municipality of Kyffhäuserland, about three kilometres north-east of Rathsfeld. The site is close to the border with Saxony-Anhalt and forms part of the Kyffhäuser Nature Park.

When was Kyffhausen Castle built?

Kyffhausen Castle was probably first built about 1000, placing its origins in the 10th or 11th century. The site record gives no recorded first-raised year, while archaeological interpretation places the upper castle in the first half of the 11th century, possibly as early as the 10th century. Major rebuilding followed its destruction in 1118 and continued under the Hohenstaufen emperors.

Was Kyffhausen Castle ever attacked or besieged?

Kyffhausen Castle was attacked and demolished in 1118 by Saxon Duke Lothair of Supplinburg and his forces. The assault followed their victory over Emperor Henry V at the Battle of Welfesholz in 1115, and the castle was defended by a royalist garrison. Reconstruction began shortly afterwards and was completed under Frederick I Barbarossa.

Which family or clan held Kyffhausen Castle?

Kyffhausen Castle was held by the Counts of Beichlingen from 1273, and from 1375 they held it as vassals of the Wettin landgraves of Thuringia. It was later given in pawn to the House of Schwarzburg. The Counts of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt seized it in 1407, replacing the Beichlingen line as holders.

What did Kyffhausen Castle look like in its prime?

In its prime, Kyffhausen Castle was a long complex of bright red sandstone spread along an eastern ridge. Continuous curtain walls followed the narrow crest around terraces and platforms, while a massive square keep dominated the highest point. The three linked sections (upper, middle and lower castles) extended for more than 600 metres along the spur.

Is Kyffhausen Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Kyffhausen Castle is a ruin today, although substantial medieval remains survive. The upper castle retains the square Barbarossa Tower to a height of 17 metres, parts of its curtain walls and the Erfurt Gate. More than two-thirds of the upper castle was destroyed during construction of the Kyffhäuser Monument, while later works secured and partly rebuilt some ruins.

Can you visit Kyffhausen Castle?

Kyffhausen Castle can be visited as a historic castle ruin and tourist destination. It is presented together with the Kyffhäuser Monument, and archaeological remains were excavated, conserved and made accessible to the public. The castle is designated a heritage monument in Thuringia and is part of the Kyffhäuser Nature Park.

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